Chicago

November 05, 2009|By TRIBUNE

Notification law blocked

A Cook County judge has halted enforcement of Illinois' parent abortion notification law just hours after a state agency had given the all-clear. Judge Daniel A. Riley granted a temporary restraining order sought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois just hours after the Illinois Medical Disciplinary Board decided the state could begin enforcing the law, which requires parents or guardians to be notified when those 17 and younger seek abortions. Riley's ruling puts the law back on hold.

2 charged in student's death

Two reputed gang members have been charged in the slaying of DePaul University senior Francisco "Frankie" Valencia at a Logan Square Halloween party over the weekend, authorities said Wednesday. Narciso Gatica, 19, and Berly Valladares, 21, were both charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder, said Tandra Simonton, a spokeswoman for the Cook County State's Attorney's office. Another senior, Daisy Camacho, was shot. Neither victim was an intended target, police said.

Degorski gets life in prison

Judge Vincent Gaughan on Wednesday formally imposed a life sentence on James Degorski for the 1993 murders of seven workers at the Brown's Chicken restaurant in Palatine. Degorski's co-defendant, Juan Luna, was sentenced to life in prison in 2007. Prosecutors said Degorski and Luna killed the seven during a robbery because they wanted to do something big. Killed were owners Richard and Lynn Ehlenfeldt and employees Thomas Mennes, Marcus Nellsen, Guadalupe Maldonado, Rico Solis and Michael Castro.